The creators of The Original Series had a second chance at modifying the Star Trek universe with Star Trek: The Next Generation. Those changes in approach, tone, characters, and philosophy "updated" the Trek universe, creating a 24th Century for the two subsequent series, Deep Space Nine and Voyager. Phillip, Daniel, and Darren examine the two "Enterprise-less" television series thru the lens of TNG's legacy.

Earl Grey goes through early DS9 (pre-USS Defiant/Worf), the rest of DS9, and all of VOY, exploring characters, species, story lines, and approaches to Trek. Whether charting Next Gen characters who lived on in other series, e.g., the O'Briens, Worf, Nick Loca-...Paris, or how the spirit of Picard and Company can be seen, the Earl Grey trio honor the unique approaches of Sisko and Janeway's crews while seeing how all three series manage to live in the same 24th Century universe. So update your uniform, get used to small quarters, and join this episode that examines TNG's 24th Century legacy.

The writers of The Next Generation, despite being mostly young men, crafted several stories that tackle the nature of growing older. Phillip, Darren, and Daniel analyze how the movies and television episodes treat the issue of ageing in the 24th century. The inaugural TNG film, Star Trek: Generations, features Captain James T. Kirk dealing with life transitions (and death), Captain Jean-Luc Picard struggling with issues of family and mortality, and the antagonist Dr. Tolian Soran sacrificing entire planets to kill the "predator" of time. The third film, Star Trek: Insurrection, is centrally focused on the idea of a "fountain of youth," and theEnterprise-E crew, as well as the Son'a and Baku, react to "growing younger" in different ways.

The Earl Grey trio also examine such episodes as "Half a Life" and "Relics" which pose questions about the treatment of older people in society. There are also the story-lines in "Rascals" that deal with "lost youth," with both Ensign Ro and Picard struggling with the consequences of a second childhood. Along with "Too Short a Season," this episode talks about bad "old age" make-up, being considered middle age on alien planets, and how certain scripts could have been improved.

The United Federation of Planets is a great place to live, find a career, and raise a family. However, during the time of the NCC-1701-D and NCC-1701-E, there were major crises that affected the life of Federation citizens. Star Trek The Next Generation is a Starfleet-centered show, but the missions of the U.S.S. Enterprise impacted those working outside of Starfleet, from the events of "Conspiracy," to the strategic threat posed by the reemergence of the Romulan Empire ("The Neutral Zone"), to the fateful attacks on Earth by the Borg ("The Best of Both Worlds, Parts 1 and 2"/Star Trek: First Contact). Daniel, Darren, and Phillip explore what these impacts, what we wish we could have seen about the political and social life of Federation citizens, and inadvertently uncover the greatest Starfleet conspiracy since Lieutenant Commander Remmick's slug exploded. So get your favorite drink from the replicator, stop reading your copy of "Utopia," and join Earl Grey as they discuss life in the United Federation of Planets.

From the initial zoom in to Picard on the Enterprise to the final zoom out from the poker table, Star Trek: The Next Generation consistently had Starfleet admirals as recurring and influential characters. More often than not, these admirals were a thorn in the side of the Enterprise crew, sending Picard on questionable missions, making unreasonable scheduling requests, and even dragging Riker into a cover-up of illegal experiments. In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Phillip Gilfus, Darren Moser, and Daniel Proulx put on their best dress uniforms and blend into the admiralty. From cameos by familiar characters-turned-admiral—like McCoy and Janeway—to a movie all about a Badmiral, this is a very regal cup of Earl Grey.